Pictures of Us
by andafterall
Summary: Damon decides to try Stefan's plan. What happens when it doesn't work? Or, when he thinks it doesn't. One-shot about DE in 4x19.


**So... this is my first time writing something. Let me know what do you think! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own any Vampire Diaries characters.**

_Remembering you fallen into my arms_

_Crying for the death of you heart_

_You were stone white, so delicate, so lost in the cold_

_You were always so lost in the dark_

**_Pictures of You - The Cure_**

- Care to join me in the dance floor, lady?  
- Not you too.  
- Me what?  
- Trying again to make me do something you know I won't.  
- I just asked for a dance. It's our tradition, after all.  
- Maybe it was. Not anymore, not since you joined team 'Let's piss Elena off'.  
- Oh, sure. Because it's so damn wrong to help the ones you care about.  
- I feel nothing for you, Damon.  
- Well, but remember when you did. I mean, I guess you did, maybe it was that sire bond all along.  
- Don't start this discussion again.  
- Well, guess we'll never know that now.  
- Stop doing this.  
- What? Don't act like you care, you said it yourself, more times than I can count these last weeks.  
- I don't.  
- So what? I'm just saying that since you're not turning back on, we'll never know the truth.  
- Whatever, Damon. I'll just find someone to eat before we get to know who won this queen prom thing, while you stay here babbling about "feelings".  
- Guess I have to find someone else to dance with me. Distract me from this so called feelings.  
- What?  
- Well, I happen to like to dance, Elena. And since you're not available in your mission to destroy everyone's else life tonight, I'll go find someone else.

She stayed there, not knowing what to do. Elena was pissed off tonight, everyone seemed to think that prom was the perfect event to make her turn that fucking switch back on. Although she wasn't mostly affected by their attempts, Damon seemed to make her want to grab the first person she saw and dry her without thinking. Maybe it was because he was the third person to talk to her about this today, or maybe it was because he started talking about that damn bond, which she sure was tired to hear about when the switch was on, and was pretty sure didn't want to bring that up again.

Then, out of nowhere, she saw him picking up Bonnie to dance. Bonnie, of all people, he picked the one he supposed hate. Was this some sick trick to make her feel jealous? He knew she didn't feel a thing, he knew it was not going to work, so what was in his mind? Fine. He wants to play? She know damn well to do that, too.

* * *

What was in his head when he decided to go along with Stefan's plan? He had been with that switch off for god knows how long. He knew that trying to force something wasn't going to help at all. And now here he was, in a high-school prom, without any distraction, and feeling worse than before, since he already had drunk all bourbon he brought. Of course talking to Elena about feelings wasn't going to do any good. The only love she had felt for him was because that sire thing, and although he knew it, he had let himself hope during some moments, but now that was gone. Fucking city, fucking prom, and fucking feelings.

He was planning on go find some booze somewhere else, when he saw the witch standing alone in a table. Fine, he needed to get some information about the whole Silas thing, since the Elena subject wasn't making any progress.

- Witchy, would you join me?  
- Damon? What do you want?  
- Well, since your so-called friends left you here alone, and I need to talk to you, and we are in a dance, I guess we could make some use of it.  
- Fine. What's it about? - Bonnie said, while they went through the dance floor between another couples.  
- I overheard my brother and Blondie earlier, and she was talking about how you were trying to send your whole house on fire in your sleep, so, spill it.  
- To be honest, I don't know what is happening. I don't remember anything after we woke up Silas, and I haven't seen him, or Shane, since the day the massacre was completed.  
- Do you think he's going to try some move soon? Professor creepy haven't talked to you about the post-massacres world?  
- I don't remember, Damon, I told you... wait, what is Elena doing?

Damon turned around to see what Bonnie was looking at, only to be faced with the last thing he needed at the moment. Elena was dancing with his brother. Dancing? Who was he fucking kidding? She was rubbing herself against Stefan like they were alone, and not in front of all of her high-school friends. "Calm down, Damon. It's nothing you haven't seen before." Yeah, but nothing he had seen after knowing what was like to be with her, even if it was only for one night, one day, he had known every single part of her body, just like she knew his. He knew what was like to grab her waist and feel her warm touch. To hold her while she pressed her head against his chest and feel what was like to belong. He should be happy, looked like Stefan had achived his goal, after all. And when it couldn't get worse, Elena looked at him, right through his eyes, then turned around to kiss his brother. Fucking. Perfect.

- She has lost her mind.  
- What? - Damon said roughly. He had forgotten about Bonnie during some seconds.  
- Elena. She is gone, Damon. First, she stole Caroline's dress. And now, why is she doing this to Stefan in front of you?  
- She loves Stefan, always Stefan. I should know that since the beggining.  
- No, Damon. But her humanity is off. She is doing that to hurt you, not because she feels anything towards him.  
- To hurt me? Yeah, sure. Like she care enough to even think about it right now. Well, since you're not going to provide me anything new about the upcoming apocalipse, I'll call it a night. See you around, witch.

* * *

Elena was sure she had achived her goal when she opened her eyes and saw Damon rushing to the exit door. Let's see if he was going to play with her again.

- Elena...  
- Stefan? - She said, mockingly, almost forgeting he was there.  
- I'm glad you're back.  
- Glad? Well, good for you. I need to go now.  
- What? Where are you going?  
- None of your business. Go find your bff, I'm sure you two have something new to gossip about.  
- What was that about? You asked me to dance with you. You kissed me, Elena! And now you tell me it had nothing to do with some switch flipping back on?  
- Sure. Whatever makes you sleep at night. I was bored, you were willing, so, do the maths.  
- Don't try to fool me. I know you're better than this. I know you are starting to feel again.  
- Okay, Stefan, I need to go. See you.

Elena didn't understand what was going on. She did what she wanted, right? Damon pissed her off, she paid back. But why the feeling of relief hadn't come? Why did she feel like something inside her was pushing and revolving, and not that peace of nothing at all? It must be hunger. She hadn't drank any blood today.  
She picked a random girl that was walking to the bathroom, and drank almost all the blood inside her. It tasted like alcohol and a little more salty that she liked, so she compelled the girl to leave. Elena decided to go back to the dance, but right in front of the door she saw that. Sure, the salon was full of pictures of everyone she knew, in some failed attempt to make memories bring something that was dead inside her. But she never expected to see that. Her, Damon, Ric and Jeremy, all of them smiling. Even Damon was not with his caracteristic smirk. He was behind her, making fun of her messed hair, and the other two were laughing at it.  
Elena remembered that day, it was last summer, the one Stefan was gone, Bonnie was travelling, and Caroline was too busy helping Tyler with god knows what, while Matt worked at the Grill. This day the boys decided she needed to forget about her search a little bit, and all the four started painting the house. Her clothes were all dirty, and her hair had some drops of paint in it, but Ric insisted they needed to record the moment. With all the crazyness that went after they found Stefan, she almost forgot what had been like in those months. She was sad, of course, and determined to get him back, but in moments like this it was almost like the world was back to normal again. The four of them was the closest to a family (a messed-up one) that she had know since her parent's and Jenna's death.  
And now all of that was gone. Ric, Jeremy, her house, her inocence. 'But not Damon', a voice said inside her. No, he is just like everyone else now, trying to fix me. Trying to make me go back to that scared little girl who is dead forever. But why was she feeling that push inside yet? It was not hunger, she had fed. No, that was not right. She could not feel guilty for hurting Damon today. She had no emotions. It can't be it. So, Elena decided go after him to make that feeling go away, it was his fault with all that babbling about dances, and that fucking picture.

* * *

The boarding house was quiet, and the fire was smoldering the way he had left earlier. Damon took his glass and filled it with his strongest alcohol. Bourbon, sure, the only thing that made him feel warm nowadays. He walked through the living room, trying not to think about what had happened. Tomorrow he would go talk to Elijah, Rebekah, whoever had that cure and make them give it to him, but not tonight, tonight he wanted to forget everything about his messed up love life. After a while he heard the front door opening, and closed his eyes, not wanting to see who was coming.

- Don't worry, I'll leave so you two lovebirds can celebrate properly.  
- Now, Damon, I'm surprised. No random naked girl? No trail of blood?

Damon opened his eyes to see her standing there alone.

- Elena, I'm not in the mood. Where is Stefan?  
- Don't know. Probably celebrating with whoever won the prom queen.  
- What are you doing here?  
- I wanted to borrow some of your whiskey. You know high-school dances are not the best sources, so. I was expecting something else, though. Last time I hurt your feelings you went running to Rebekah.  
- What's your point, Elena? Hate is coming back to you and you choose me to fuck up with?

The brunette just stared at him, without saying a word. Was that hurt he saw in her eyes? Damon got up, went to her, and looked into her eyes, lifting her chin with his hand.

- What happened, Elena?  
- Nothing. Leave me alone.  
- Oh, last time I checked, you were the one who came to my house. Tell me, what's going on?  
- I saw the picture.  
- The picture?  
- Painting day.  
- Oh. I'm sorry, I just... Stefan was taking all that photos, and... you know, I was looking into my 'box of memories', and I saw that. At the moment looked like a good idea.  
- No, it's just that... I can't, Damon. I can't let all that grief come back.  
- I know.  
- And... I shouldn't have done that earlier.  
- Don't worry. I'm glad the couple of the year is back.  
- No, you don't understand. I'm not back with Stefan. I did that because I felt angry at you.  
- How was that?  
- You danced with someone else. You're trying to make me feel, like everyone else, and look at that, you succeded. Guess you were right, anger is the one that come back first.  
- Were you jealous of witchy? Elena, I was just finding information about the Silas case, since you didn't seem to be willing about the humanity thing. I thought that... I don't know. You're not feeling right now, but it's your prom after all. You should enjoy it the way you want.  
- Why are you doing this? I hurt you. You should be angry! Not wishing me anything good.  
- You know why. And I'm not starting this again. Brother must be looking for you, I'll call him.  
- No! Ugh, Damon, why do you need to be so hard to deal with? I shouldn't be feeling nothing at all. I...

Elena stared at his blue eyes, searching for some answer, but all she found was the same question in him. He didn't know what to do either, so she looked down at his lips, and did the only thing that made any sense at the moment: closed the distance between them, and pressed her lips against his. She started moving, opening her mouth and searching for allowance with her tongue, but all she found was a wall. He was static. Elena grabed his hair and pulled him closer, and after a second of hesitation, Damon corresponded and held her waist, while his tongue explored her mouth. This, this was that she needed.  
This kiss wasn't the same as in New York. There, she was trying to distract him, and while she enjoyed it, it was nothing more than a way to get what she wanted. Now she was doing it because she wanted. Because it felt right. The kiss with Stefan earlier was nice, he was a good kisser, but she felt nothing about it. It was the same as kissing some other random guy in the room, like should be with her humanity off, but not with Damon. His lips were warm, caressing hers, and his hand was holding her face like she belonged there. It felt safe. Not just the freedom and excitement she felt that first night they had together, not the lust and the love, the happiness. Now, Elena felt like she could fell on the ground and he would catch her, no matter what happened. She was not alone.  
Suddenly that push in her stomach from before became a wave of pain. The hurt, the grief, all she had lost, everything was coming back. Elena pushed Damon away, tears starting to form in her eyes.

- NO! I can't, no, I'm not going to went through it again.

He looked at her surprised, grabbing her shaking hand, but when he tried to come closer and hold her, she was not there anymore. Damon heard the door being opened, but never closed.

- Elena? ELENA?

She was gone. Again. Damon started running and when the cold wind hit his face, he went to the first place that came to his mind.

* * *

Elena looked at what someday was her home. Now, everything was ashes, pieces of wood turned into black, and cop advices to not come closer. She stared at it for god knows how long, and the pain was starting to feel distant again. Numbness. That was what she needed. A reminder of the reasons of why emotions were so useless. She had nothing anymore, the place that once was filled with laughs and good memories had became a constant harbor of death and hurt. And she was not part of it anymore.  
She heard a noise of someone coming closer, and turned to see Damon looking at her.

- Nice, right? What they did with the advices. No one should come here, build another house would be dumb. This place is cursed. - She said.

He said nothing, just started coming closer.

- I'm sorry for wasting your time earlier. It's not gonna happen again. But, funny how you always know where to find me. It's like you can smell the tragedy.  
- Elena...  
- No, don't worry. That anger I said? Gone. It was just a little inconvenience, I'm fine again.  
- You know you don't have to hide again. I know what happened there. The switch is starting to fail?  
- Looks like. But, like I said, everything is normal now. No hurt, and no caring. It was a great kiss, though.  
- Next time it's not going to be so easy to flip it back again. It's always hardest. And suddenly someday it's not going to work.  
- Oh, I'll be long gone when that happens.  
- Fine. It's your life, Elena. I tried Stefan's method, but I know it's going to be your choice in the end. You should just know that you're not alone. It sucks to be lectured, I know. But you have something I never did. People that are going to be there for you no matter what. It's going to suck beyond explanation, but you don't need to feel afraid. Not about it.  
- Oh, sure, and now you expect me to run into your arms and say 'I always knew you would never abandon me'?  
- I'm not talking about me here. You know I will never leave you, but I'm taking about blondie, my brother, Bonnie, even busboy. They are looking out for you. And I know they can be a pain in the ass most of the time, but hey, not anyone can be so cool and good looking as I am, right?  
- Not going to work.  
- I know.  
- So why do you bother?  
- Because I need to try. Besides... you're not the worst company in the world, even when you're all bad big vampire trying to destroy the world. What do you say about going back there and laugh a little? Promiss I'm not going to talk about feelings again. Not tonight.  
- I'm not going to fall for the New York trick again.  
- Neither do I. I'm not lying to you here, Elena. You know I'll still try to take that cure for you, and I know you'll still gonna run from it. But just for tonight, let's forget about all of it.

He stayed there, waiting for her answer. Elena looked at her former house one more time, then linked her arm with his, trying to hide a smile.

- Let's go then. Don't make me regret it.

And this time, Elena thought that maybe, just maybe, that warm feeling that went through her when she touched his skin was not that bad.


End file.
